Rothko

Rothko stated that the objective for his art was to draw people out of the mundane daily life and to make them feel the deep, intrinsic emotions that make us human. As one approaching Rothko's abstract art, I find this description helpful in interpreting and understanding his paintings. At first glance, an ignorant eye might see his work and think it bland or simple. Their are no people or distinguishable objects, merely lines, shades, and colors. However, understanding that his art is for the emotions, not the mind, allows one to experience the fullness of his work.

In life, the majority of people find themselves unknowingly trapped in the rut of status quo. Get this type of job, buy this type of home, attend these sorts of social functions. The American Dream has become a mold into which masses of people are pressed, creating a nation of individuals who live exactly the same. In this mold, we are told that wealth is everything, it will bring happiness and contentment. And it is this mold that Rothko found so repulsive, because it shreds away humanity through the dissipation of basic feeling.

So, when the Four Seasons restaurant commissions Rothko to decorate their building, he is at a conundrum. They are willing to pay, what would be the equivalent in today's money, two million dollars for his paintings. However, Rothko considers, the Four Seasons is a restaurant for the excessively rich, those who are happy and content within the American Dream mold. So ultimately, Rothko refuses to supply artwork for the restaurant. He believes that people who eat there are not worthy (or even capable) of understanding his work.

I agree with Rothko in that the excesses of life take away our humanity. While today, we have technology to make our lives easier (they say), it is actually dehumanizing us. It takes away the encounters that provide us with fear, ecstasy, sadness, hope, and every other emotion that comes from experiencing life.